Blitz

Magic Johnson could watch only so much. With the Dodgers already facing a double-digit deficit against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning, Johnson left his seat in the owner's box and quickly disappeared down a nearby stairwell. Johnson still lasted longer than Ted Lilly did in the Dodgers' 12-2 defeat on Monday night, as the soft-tossing left hander pitched only three innings and was charged with five runs and eight hits. The Dodgers have four starting pitchers on the disabled list - Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano and Stephen Fife.

The Ducks had two giant reasons to celebrate Monday, as they won their franchise-record 12th consecutive game at Honda Center and locked up star wing Corey Perry in an eight-year extension. "Everybody got all excited," Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin said of learning in the first intermission Perry had struck a $69-million deal to remain in Anaheim. "Staying in Anaheim has always been my first choice," Perry said in a prepared statement. "This is a great place to play, and I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to remain here.

MORRISVILLE, Pa. - Trying to quilt together a patchwork of states that would give him the White House, Mitt Romney ricocheted around the country Sunday, arguing that he represented true change and that reelecting the president would mean a continuation of the status quo: chronic unemployment, high energy prices and increased dependence on government. Romney said Obama had promised much but had fallen "so very short. " "Talk is cheap, but a record is real and it's measured in achievements," the Republican nominee said, bundled against the cold at his rally in a farm field.

When Taylor Swift's album "Red" was released last week, the pop singer's most ardent fans wasted no time downloading the digital edition on iTunes, vaulting it to No. 1 on the online retailer's Top Albums chart in a quick 36 minutes. Those who wanted to hold a CD with her latest 16 songs were also able to snap it up as early as 12:01 a.m. Oct. 22 at thousands of 24-hour Walgreens and Wal-Mart stores. By daybreak though, the options had multiplied: A deluxe 22-track edition was available at Target, and if the music alone wasn't enough, Swift aficionados could also pick up a custom pair of Keds "Red" sneakers ($49.99)

WASHINGTON - President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney each held unique financial advantages headed into the final 19 days of the race after raising money at a furious pace during the first half of October. Romney's campaign and affiliated party committees raised $111.8 million between Oct 1. and 17, while Obama's reelection committee and party allies pulled in $90.5 million, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission. The reports are the last required before election day. Despite Romney's cash advantage, Obama raised more directly into his campaign committee, pulling in $54.4 million to Romney's $38 million.

SACRAMENTO - Once riding high, Proposition 37, the statewide ballot measure to label genetically engineered foods, has seen its voter support plummet during the last month, and a new poll shows the high-stakes battle now is a dead heat. After a barrage of negative television advertisements financed by a $41-million opposition war chest, a USC Dornsife / Los Angeles Times poll released Thursday showed 44% of surveyed voters backing the initiative and 42% opposing it. A substantial slice of the electorate, 14%, remains undecided or unwilling to take a position.

WASHINGTON - For Rep. Leonard L. Boswell, an eight-term Democrat from Iowa, the first hint of the ad war to come appeared in summer 2011. Almost a year and a half before election day, Crossroads GPS, the conservative nonprofit co-founded by Karl Rove, was on the airwaves in the congressman's district, chewing him out over the deficit. "The Republicans have been trying to buy this race from the get-go," said Kevin McTigue, who manages Boswell's campaign against nine-term GOP Rep. Tom Latham in a redrawn district that stretches from Des Moines to Council Bluffs.

If you haven't heard about Windows 8 yet, you will soon. A lot. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Microsoft and its partners will begin heavily marketing the upcoming operating system and related tablets, computers and other products this weekend. The Redmond, Wash., company and its partners are counting on the new operating system to revitalize their sales, and they've cumulatively paid in the hundreds of millions to advertise their new products, according to the Journal.

SACRAMENTO - An advertising blitz against Proposition 37 has slashed support for the genetically engineered food labeling initiative on next month's ballot and may endanger its prospects for voter approval, a new poll shows. Proposition 37, which once was ahead statewide by more than a 2-1 margin, still leads 48.3% to 40.2% in the poll released Thursday by the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and the California Business Roundtable. Undecided voters accounted for 11.5%.

LONDON — The current king and queen of tennis were up bright and early here Wednesday. No leisurely breakfast, no lingering over a second cup of coffee. Roger Federer was out on Court 1, Serena Williams on Centre Court. What an idea. Olympic tennis at Wimbledon. It was noon — that's the crack of dawn for marquee tennis players — and the fans who had taken a second mortgage on their homes to purchase tickets were scurrying to seats so they wouldn't miss the day's big show.